


lost boy

by kontent



Series: June 2019 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Temporary Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Established Relationship, Everything Hurts, F/M, Family Feels, Family Loss, Heartbreak, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Multi, Peter Parker Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-03-27 13:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19013992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kontent/pseuds/kontent
Summary: Peter is gone. Their son, their baby is gone. Turned to ash, erased from existence. (They don’t even have anything tobury.) It would be easy to just point the finger, and Tony would let him, would accept it all. Steve knows that. He knows that he’s just as guilty.It feels like he's stepping into the glass shards between them, cutting into his flesh. But they are all bleeding, they are all broken. Steve is going to try and fix everything he can. Even if it's a band-aid on a bullet hole.





	lost boy

**Author's Note:**

> This basically just includes a background relationship between Pepper/Tony/Steve. Everything is basically the same - and let's be real, that movie scene was almost forcing me to write this.

Tony rests his weight heavily on the blue-skinned woman and when Steve touches his arm, he feels cold. Fragile. But he doesn't shy away from his touch, and Steve's heart breaks with relief.

Tony looks at him, his eyes dark and unnaturally big in his hollow face, and there's unbelievable pain in his eyes. Steve feels Pepper beside him, feels her slide around him, her arm almost brushing his.

“I couldn't stop him, Steve.”

Tony's voice is raw, his pain weighing him down. Steve knows the feeling - he wishes he could fix it. He wishes he could fix a lot of things.

“Neither could I.” He doesn't know what to tell Tony. How do you tell someone you failed them, you hurt them, you weren't there for them - but you still love them? _You don't._

Tony's eyes flutter closed for a second, the bruises on his face visible even in the darkness. When he speaks again, his voice cracks around his words.

“No, I- I lost him. I lost Peter.”

The words fall between them like shards of glass. Pepper draws in a breath, and Steve feels his knees threaten to give out. _No. No no no no no no_.

There are tears in his eyes and he feels Pepper touch his shoulder, gentle as if she is afraid he will shatter. He just might.

Peter is gone. Their son, their baby is gone. Turned to ash, erased from existence. (They don’t even have anything to _bury_.) It would be so easy to blame Tony. It would be easy to just point the finger, and Tony would _let_ him, would accept it all. Steve knows that. He knows that he’s just as guilty. He’s just as much to blame. So he takes a step forward, careful, sliding his hands up his arm.

It feels like he's stepping into the glass shards between them, cutting into his flesh. But they are all bleeding, they are all broken. Steve is going to try and fix everything he can. Even if it's a band-aid on a bullet hole.

“Tony, _we_ lost.” He can't bring himself to say it. _We lost our son_. _We lost everything_.

Pepper's hand slides into his, small and fragile and Steve doesn't squeeze back - but he holds her. And he knows she’s breaking inside just like him, blames herself. And he wants to say it’s not her fault, but he knows that it doesn’t really matter. Their son is dead, and they are all alive. They have to live with that. (Steve doesn’t know if he can.)

“Come on, let's go inside.” Pepper is stronger than them. She has always been stronger than either of them - holding them together when Tony and Steve are tearing themselves apart, are fighting over everything and nothing. There is a strength within her that Steve adores. Right now, he almost hates it - hates now she's holding it together where Tony and Steve are already breaking. At the same time, he loves her for it.

Tony lets Pepper wrap an arm around him, lets her take some of his weight. When Steve wraps himself around Tony’s other side, and the other man lets him, Steve isn’t sure who’s holding up who.

The tears start sliding down his cheeks. They are hot and silent, and nobody comments on them. (He doesn’t think about the future. He doesn’t know if they will fall apart, or together. He doesn’t know if he can live with this on his conscience. He doesn’t know if Pepper and Tony can.)


End file.
